Friday, June 26, 2009

That Billy Ray...

Just when I'm in the midst of the three shittiest weeks I have ever had in my working career, my friend Billy Ray comes to the rescue.As you may recall, I posted a little over a week ago asking for a vote as to which of two locales Billy Ray and I should make our next fishing trip. After an overwhelming response of two (2) votes, which resulted in a tie between locations, I told Billy Ray we were in a dead tie as to the blog voters. You can read that stuff here VOTE NOW: Pick the next place Billy Ray and I go fishing...

We were trying to decide if each of us should actually each get one vote but Billy Ray said no matter how I voted, he would vote for the opposite location, which would result in us still being in a tie. I suggested a secret ballot, which launched Billy Ray into a tirade about freedom of the press and the right to bear arms that really had little to do with our discussion, but since he did actually attend law school for three semesters, he fancies himself quite the constitutionalist.After some discussion, we agreed that the Hill Country is getting drier by the day in this horrible drought, and so maybe we ought to head to the coast for our fishing. This begat another idea, that of suggesting an alternative location in the coastal region to the beach fishing trip we had discussed.In the Baffin Bay and adjacent areas, which lie between Padre Island and the Mainland south of Corpus Christi, there exists a thing such as a rental barge. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department licenses somewhere around 160 of these floating cabins, such as they are, which many owners rent out to guys like me. Some are privately owned and not rented out, but you can easily find 40 or more for rent with just a little googling.Basically, it's a cabin that is anchored or tied to piers in a fixed location. You get there and leave by boat. Since neither of us are currently boat owners, you have to rely on the boat shuttle service offered by the floating cabin owner to get there and back.This concerned me because I have been out bay fishing on more than one occasion where it was a beautiful day with no rain predicted when a killer gulf black cloud of rain and lightning came from literally nowhere in a flash, moving in from the Gulf of Mexico. These storms are no place to be, and I don't think I'd care to be anchored to a lightning magnet with no boat to escape.

After expressing these concerns to Billy Ray, this is what I got back from him:

Location of a floating cabin is not an issue for me. I am an expert wilderness swimmer. I can swim many miles in the worst conditions. If bad conditions arise I will swim to shore and at some point will send help to you. Of course after an invigorating swim I will need to rest then get something to eat. I will also need to make some calls and probably do some web surfing for vintage guitars. I will assume that you will make it even if I forget to send help.